Compatibility withVideo Devices

Willing Webcam is compatible with most USB-based or FireWire (IEEE 1394) video devices, including webcams, camcorders, TV and video capture cards, TV tuners, Canon digital cameras, and IP network cameras. We also support the pan, tilt, and zoom features of Logitech webcameras.

How to ...

How to start working:

Think of the program as a tool box with webcam solutions. The root of the 'Option Table' consists of these tools. Click the plus sign to expand a tool. You will find some hot buttons above the 'Preview' window. The big triangular buttons below the 'Preview' window select/clear the corresponding 'Enable' checkboxes and also work as indicators turning yellow when the corresponding operation is in progress. You should select the 'Enable' checkbox and clear the 'Cycle' one if you are going to use the corresponding feature instantly by clicking the 'Capture' button or when the motion detection event occurs. You can see brief hints in the program status bar when the cursor stops over an interface element or an option. Leave buttons and options in a certain state when you exit the program and the program will restore this state when you start it next time. More...

1.. expand the HTTP Server option either using the green 'http' button or via the Option Table
2.. select an IP address from the IP Addresses list when you are connected to the Internet (The default item is used for a local test)
You should have a static IP. Otherwise you will have to change your webpage every time
3.. select the Enable checkbox
4.. you can test streaming video on your computer by clicking 'Run Browser' under the globe icon
5a .. If you prefer to have your webpage with streaming video on your site:
include this part into the source code of the webpage:
(Enter the IP Address and Port of the computer running the Willing Webcam software with the HTTP server enabled and a preferable width and height)

How to optimize the work of the feature:
1. Please see 'Preferences > Picture Quality > Picture Format > Jpeg Quality'.
If you decrease the 'Jpeg Quality' value you will decrease image file size. You have to find a compromise between
quality and image size. For easy tuning run 'HTTP server > Run Browser'. You can see image quality in the browser
while you are changing the control value, because the preview image will not change.
2. Set the size in the applet description equal to the size of the preview window. Otherwise the applet will upload
unnecessary kilobytes and waste time on resizing the image.
3. You can limit the amount of simultaneous visitors using the 'HTTP Server > Max connections' option. Extra visitors will be asked to try later.

Compatibility with Windows Vista
The HTTP Server feature requires the Java virtual machine to be installed on your computer,
because the Microsoft Virtual Machine for Java is no longer included in Internet Explorer v.7 under Windows Vista.
You should install the latest Sun Java Runtime Environment(JRE) on the client computer where the page with the java applet will be opened:http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_xpi.jsp

Please take a look at the 'Program Files\Willing Webcam\Web Pages\HTTP Server\Commands\index.html' web page.
You can use this remote control panel both from the local hard disk and from any website.
You can also use this page as a template for creating your own web page (for example, for sending the tilt, pan, zoom commands).

Dynamic DNS is a system for allowing an Internet domain name to be
assigned to a varying IP address. This makes it possible for other sites
on the Internet to establish connections to the machine without
needing to track the IP address themselves. A common use is for running server software on a
computer that has a dynamic IP address (e.g., a dialup connection where a new address is
assigned at each connection, or a DSL service where the address is changed by the ISP occasionally).

Just minimize or roll up the program. The Preview window will be refreshed only prior to some operation
(saving to the hard disk, ftp upload, an http query, etc.) in this case.

If you want to arrange broadcasting via http, you can write some javascript refreshing code (please, see the 'Web Pages\HTTP Server\Mobile' template) or you can use this simple
example (the HTTP Server feature must be enabled):

Using an IP network camera (in a local network or wireless) is a good solution, but it is not cheap and the software does not support all of these types of cameras. For more information, see howto.shtml#27.

USB connection:
For more information, see howto.shtml#32.
The maximum length for a USB 2.0 cable is 15 feet. It's possible to increase the length by USB Hub cascading. There are also USB cables on the market that have active repeaters built into them. These extenders for USB claim to allow 150 feet over standard network cables. This solution can be expensive. A technician can make a cable with length 30 feet. This cable is inexpensive, but unstable.

If you have a video device with AV, S-Video or Composite output (a digital camera, a camcorder, a TV, etc), it is possible to connect it to Willing Webcam via a video card with video input. Use an AV-> S-Video/Composite cable adapter if you have AV output.

Note that camcorders stop working in a few minutes if there is a cassette inside them.

The best connection is Firewire, but most manufacturers do not offer Firewire drivers for free. They include the drivers in expensive software packages. You can have a version of Adobe Premiere that came with the capture card and some other software like Pinnacle 8 or Roxio VideoWave5. They have Firewire drivers for camcorders.

See the ‘Video Device > Video Source > Digital Camera’ options and the zoom & reset buttons above the preview. Most of the options become visible only after the camera is connected.

The files for the new feature are not included in the Willing Webcam installation package. The program will ask you to download and install a separate installation file when you use the feature for the first time. You can install the file manually by going to DigitalCamera.exe.

You will see live low-quality data from the viewfinder after connection. To see shots in their real resolution without running the program cycled features: Click the ‘Copy’ button above the preview window or enable the ‘Digital Camera > Cycle’ option. Actually, the ‘Cycle’ timer is needed only for non-cycled features. Click the ‘Last saved’ button above the preview window after the first shot initiated by these operations or by the cycled features.

To connect the application to a camera, you need driver software that connects the camera to a computer (assuming that it is running Windows 98 SE/Me/2000 SP4). Driver software is not required on computers running Windows XP. It would be better to supply your camera with power by using a suitable AC adapter and to set the 'Auto power off/down' camera's option to 'off'.

You can use the camera's viewfinder to get shots without the shutter, but the viewfinder's resolution
is 320x240 for Power Shot cameras in this case. It is fairly large for EOS cameras -768x512 (for 1000D),
848x560 (for 450D), 928x616 (for 500D), 1024x680 (for 40D/50D/5D Mark II/-1D Mark III/-1Ds Mark III),
1056x704 (for 550D/60D/7D/-1D Mark IV). See the 'Digital Camera > Shots from the preview' option.

Please do not place your computer into standby mode while the Canon digital camera is connected to its USB port. Do not remove the memory card or battery, disconnect the communication cable, or otherwise interfere with communication. Such actions may cause a malfunction on some computers. Wait until the driver has shut down before doing such actions.

1. Set ‘Video Device > Video Source > Webcam or frame grabber’ to ‘Network Camera’.
2. Specify the IP address of your network camera. Use the following format if the camera’s port is not 80: http://ip:port
3. Select your network camera from the ‘Network Camera > Model’ drop-down list.
4. Specify the Authentication options.
5. If you don’t see a webcam image in the preview window, enter under the manufacturer’s settings of your ip camera and change MPEG-4 video format to JPEG or MJPEG. If the settings don’t provide such an option, it means that the video format depends on the list items of ‘Network Camera > Model’. Try all the items for your model and wait a few seconds each time for a result.

Instance 2:
- Select the ‘Willing Webcam Capture’ video driver as a video source.
- Use the 'Movie Save’ feature. You should select the 'Enable' checkbox and clear the 'Cycle' one if you are going to use the feature
instantly by clicking the 'Capture' button above the preview window.

You need two or more network computers using Willing Webcam.
One computer has a webcam and the HTTP server enabled (embedded in the program).
It broadcasts video over the local network. Another computer with the Webcam Relay
enabled receives the video. The relay computer may itself have the HTTP server enabled
and broadcast the above mentioned video over the local network or the Internet.
It does not matter how long your local network is or how many computers with webcams you have.
You can use the Relay computer to switch between them. You may have other Relay computers as well.

NB: Each licensed copy of the software may only be used on a single computer by a single user.

You can run two (or more) copies of Willing Webcam from different directories at a time.
Each Willing Webcam copy will have its own file with settings. You need only one license for all WW
copies if they run on one computer.

Each camera must have a separate video cam driver. It is a Windows limitation.
You will get an error if you try to connect two webcams with the same video driver.
You should use the ‘Video Device > Video Output’ feature in this case.

1. use the WDM driver instead of the DirectX driver if you have both
2. decrease the image size: 'Video Device > Video Window Size'
3. decrease the image quality: 'Preferences > Picture Quality > Picture Format > JPEG Quality'
to achieve the optimal 'quality and image size' balance
4. minimize the program, the Preview window will not work in this case
5. roll up the program, the Preview window will not work in this case
(click the RollUp button on the title bar or double-click the title bar)

Please, see the 'Web Pages\HTTP Server\Mobile' template. Its java script is used to refresh the webcam image in a mobile device. The mobile device must support the java script language. Otherwise use the address http://IP:Port/ww.jpg and refresh the picture manually. Enter the IP Address and Port of the computer running the Willing Webcam software with an HTTP server enabled.

At the least you have to upload the wwsubmit.php script to a separate folder or rename it, but it would be better to use authentication defense:
1. Replace the "/cam/pswd" string in the wwcrypt.php script file from the '\Program Files\Willing Webcam\Web Pages\HTTP Upload\PHP' directory by yours, where cam is remote folder and pswd is password file name.
2. Upload the wwcrypt.php script file from the '\Program Files\Willing Webcam\Web Pages\HTTP Upload\PHP' directory to the remote folder where wwsubmit.php is located.
3. Open http://www.yourserver/folder/wwcrypt.php in the browser.
4. Fill the Login and Password fields with preferable unique values and click the Submit Query button. This operation will create a password file with encrypted password.
5. Copy the output string to the Clipboard.
6. Replace the "/home/com/willingsoftware/html/cam/pswd" string in the .htaccess file from the '\Program Files\Willing Webcam\Web Pages\HTTP Upload\PHP' directory by yours from the Clipboard (Paste operation).
7. Upload the .htaccess file to the same remote folder. This operation will protect this web directory with an authentication dialog.
8. Remove the wwcrypt.php script file from the remote folder.
9. Test your work by opening http://www.yourserver/folder/wwsubmit.php in the browser.You should see a blank window after the authentication.
10. Select the 'HTTP Upload > Login' checkbox and fill the 'Login > Name' and 'Login > Password' fields with values you had entered in the wwcrypt.php script.

Tip: you can protect an uploaded image file too if you repeat these operations for your webcam directory. Your visitors will have to know a login and password to view your webcam picture. Don't do it if you’re planning to make your webcam image public.

It sends the video stream from the program to the ‘Willing Webcam Capture’ video driver. You should select this driver in Skype,
Ustream.tv, an instant messenger (for example, MSN, Yahoo) or in other instances of Willing Webcam. Thus, any video source available for the program
(Webcam WDM and DirectX, network camera, Webcam Relay, desktop, hard disk directory) is also available for other video software. Add text, date
and time stamps, watermarks, and various video effects to the output video stream. It is possible to output only part of the video image using
the crop options. It would be a good idea to adjust the image size in the program so that it corresponds to the image size in the target software.
The ‘Video Output’ button above the preview window allows you to enable the feature with a single mouse click.
The driver can also split a video stream, so it’s possible to use your webcam source in several applications at the same time, but it doesn’t work on 64-bit Windows.
If you increase the resolution and crop the output image as a portrait, using the ‘Video Device > Video Output > Crop’ option
(when it’s expanded, you can use the mouse in the preview window), you get the effect of optical zoom and a portrait video output
including only your face.

1. Temporarily select the ‘Show motion’ checkbox and erase digital noise using the ‘Noise Level’ control.
2. The ‘Video Device > Video Source > Video Preview Rate’ must not be too low (10-15 is good).
3. The calculation amount is equal to ‘Video Preview Rate’/‘Show motion > Frame Rate’, which means if the ‘Frame Rate’ is 2 then there will be 5-7 calculations per second.
4. Use the ‘Motion Detection > Crop’ feature to decrease false detections. Expand the Crop option and select a crop area by dragging the mouse in the preview window.